Giving and Receiving at Angie’s
A free plate of oven-roasted turkey with a side of stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy-covered mashed potatoes would have anyone running for the offer, and on Nov. 27 local restaurant Angie’s will give community regulars a chance to have a meal and give to charity at the same time.
Located at 690 N. Main, Angie’s Restaurant is aiming to aid 5,000 Logan citizens this Thanksgiving, said restaurant owner Saboor Sahely. Sahley said ideally he would like to see at least 800 customers attend this year.
Charity is what they are asking for and turkey dinner is what they are giving, Sahely said.
This is the 20th year of the traditional Thanksgiving dinner for charity, Sahely said. This year, Angie’s is raising money for Options for Independence, a charity whose mission is to “provide services to individuals with disabilities to facilitate their full participation in the community and raise the understanding of disability issues and access to the community,” as stated on their restaurant banner.
Sahely said he is excited and psyched for the fundraiser.
“It’s a worthwhile cause and we are better off helping those in need,” Sahely said.
The Thanksgiving dinner, which consists of oven-roasted turkey with all the trimmings, a dinner roll, a slice of pumpkin pie and a soft drink, is free from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Nov. 27 and the restaurant welcomes donations of any amount.
Angie’s Restaurant has been in business for 25 years and Sahely said the Cache Valley community has supported them throughout the years.
The community has been kind and Cache Valley has become a second home, Sahely said.
“I give a token of appreciation to the community. Cache Valley has meant a lot to me and my family,” Sahely said.
Sahely first came to the United States from Kabul, Afghanistan in 1978 to flee war.
“I came with only the shirt on my back. I came here to survive,” he said.
Sahely then enrolled at USU at age 23 to obtain a business degree and has been in the restaurant business for 30 years and counting. Since graduating from Utah State in 1982, Sahely has invested in Cache Valley and has made it his home for his family and work. He met his wife, Kristine, a Logan native, here and they have had five children together.
By the time business began booming, Sahely said he had to decide a name for the restaurant. At that time, their first daughter was 2 years old and nothing was more important than their first-born child. Thus, the name “Angie’s” was determined.
Sahely said the hot items on Angie’s menu are the homemade desserts and emphasized the vanilla bean cheesecake and pumpkin pie as popular treats.
He said other delicious items are salmon, pot roast and the scones.
“Our homemade cinnamon rolls are to die for, and our pot roasts are so tender you don’t even need a fork,” he said.
Karlla and Quentin Gardner, regulars from Franklin, Idaho, said Angie’s Restaurant is the best restaurant in town and they come to Angie’s for the excellent service and scrumptious food.
The Gardner’s have been coming to Angie’s twice a week for the past five years and said they are looking forward to the Thanksgiving dinner special.
They said they appreciate the annual fundraisers Angie’s provides for local charities.
“This place is extremely friendly and the restaurant has a very good crew. I’ve been to tens of thousands of restaurants and I’ve traveled for 35 years as an electrical engineer and Angie’s tops my list,” Quentin said.
Karlla said her favorite meal is the veggie omelet with pancakes and Quentin said he comes back to Angie’s for their “mighty good steak and good eggs.”
“I’ve never had a bad meal here. This place is very well run. (Sahely) runs a good show, there’s no doubt about it,” Quentin said.
Sahely said he is grateful for the locals who are dedicated to Angie’s and is honored to serve Cache Valley.
“We are blessed to have so many regulars now. They have turned into our friends,” he said.
The secret to having returning customers is to treat every customer who walks through the door with dignity and respect, he said.
“We are not a typical restaurant. We know our customers and we want to offer our very best service,” he said.
Sahely described his restaurant business as a carnival ride.
“We don’t know how long it will last but we will enjoy the ride for now,” he said. “The show must go on for now.”
–candice.sandness@aggiemail.usu.edu